I need a payroll service that is easy to use and does not charge extra for year-end tax filings.

If your priorities are easy to use + no extra year-end tax-filing fees, I’d narrow it to these:

• patriotsoftware.com — Best value. Its Full Service Payroll explicitly includes federal, state, and local tax filing, plus year-end 940, 941, W-2, and W-3 filings at no additional fee. Current listed price is $37/month + $5 per worker (with a current promotional discount). Patriot also emphasizes a simple 3-step payroll process and free U.S.-based support.
• gusto.com — Best for ease of use. Gusto says year-end tax filings, including W-2s and 1099s, are included with its plans, and it doesn't charge extra for payroll tax filing. Its interface and employee self-service tools are particularly polished.
• surepayroll.com — Easy, but doesn't meet your "no extra" requirement as well. Its full-service plan handles tax filing, but year-end W-2/1099 forms cost $50 + $5 per form, so I'd rule it out based on your requirement.

My pick

Patriot Full Service is probably the best fit if keeping costs down is important. Gusto is worth paying a little more for if you value a particularly modern, easy-to-use experience.

If you tell me how many employees you have, what state you're in, and whether you pay contractors, I can compare the actual monthly/annual cost of Patriot vs. Gusto for your business.

Finding an intuitive payroll provider that bundles W-2 and 1099 year-end filings into the base subscription helps you avoid surprise January invoices . Most modern cloud payroll providers include electronic W-2 and 1099 generation in their standard monthly price, though some charge extra only if you request physical print-and-mail delivery.

Payroll Service Comparison

Top Recommendations for Ease of Use & No Hidden Year-End Fees

• Gusto: Widely regarded as the most user-friendly interface for small businesses. It automatically prepares and files both W-2s and 1099s at no extra charge, and employees/contractors get self-service portals to download their own tax forms.
• OnPay: Offers a single, straightforward tier that handles W-2 employees and 1099 contractors seamlessly. Electronic year-end tax preparation and filing are completely covered in the base fee, charging extra only if you specifically opt for their physical direct-mail print service.
• Roll by ADP: An ultra-simplified, chat- and mobile-first app built for very small teams. It rolls tax calculations and filings into the flat monthly cost without separate annual penalty or processing surprises.

To help narrow down the best choice for you, tell me:

• Are you paying W-2 employees, 1099 contractors, or both?
• Roughly how many people do you need to pay?

Several top-rated, user-friendly payroll services bundle automatic tax filing—including year-end W-2 and 1099 generation and filing—into their flat monthly subscription fees without hitting you with surprise end-of-year charges.

The best options that balance simplicity with transparent, all-inclusive tax pricing include:

• Gusto Payroll : Widely considered the gold standard for small business ease-of-use. Gusto automates your federal, state, and local payroll taxes throughout the year and automatically files and sends out employee W-2s and contractor 1099s at year-end at no additional charge.
• QuickBooks Payroll : Excellent if you already use QuickBooks for accounting. It handles full-service automated tax calculations, payments, and year-end W-2/1099 filings across all its primary plans without extra year-end reporting fees.
• OnPay : Known for straightforward, flat-rate pricing with no hidden fees. It includes unlimited monthly pay runs, multi-state tax support, and full-service W-2 and 1099 filings bundled right into the standard monthly cost.
• Patriot Software : A great budget-friendly and intuitive option. If you choose their Full-Service payroll tier, they completely take over tax filing and deposit obligations, including year-end filings, with transparent pricing.

To help narrow down the right fit, let me know:

• Do you have W-2 employees, 1099 contractors, or both?
• What accounting software (if any) are you currently using?

If your priorities are easy-to-use payroll + no separate year-end filing fee, I’d shortlist these:

• gusto.com — Best overall for simplicity. Gusto automatically files payroll taxes and includes year-end W-2/1099 filings without an extra year-end fee. Its interface is particularly geared toward small businesses that want payroll to be straightforward.
• patriotsoftware.com — Best value. Its Full Service Payroll includes year-end 940, 941, W-2 and W-3 filings at no additional fee. It also handles federal, state, and local payroll tax filings.
• surepayroll.com — Easy, but not a fit for your specific fee requirement. It handles year-end W-2/1099 filings, but currently charges a $50 annual base fee + $5 per form, so I would rule it out if "no extra year-end fee" is firm.

My pick

Gusto if ease of use is your #1 priority; Patriot Full Service if keeping the overall cost down is more important. Both meet your requirement that year-end tax filings aren't separately charged.

If you tell me how many employees you have, whether you're in California, and whether you need contractor (1099) payments, I can compare the actual monthly costs of Gusto vs. Patriot for you.

Many major cloud payroll providers charge hidden implementation fees or hit you with separate invoices for year-end W-2 and 1099 generation . However, several top-rated, user-friendly platforms include full tax filing—including year-end forms—directly in their transparent monthly subscription.

The best options that balance an intuitive interface with no hidden year-end fees include:

• Gusto : Widely considered the gold standard for small business ease-of-use. Gusto automates all federal, state, and local payroll tax calculations and filings. Year-end W-2 and 1099 forms are generated and delivered digitally to employees and contractors at no extra platform charge.
• OnPay : Known for having a simple, straightforward layout and top-tier customer service. OnPay offers full-service payroll with zero hidden charges for multi-state tax management or year-end W-2 and 1099 filings.
• Patriot Software : If you choose their Full Service Payroll tier, federal, state, and local taxes—as well as year-end tax filings (W-2s and 1099s)—are completely included in the low monthly subscription price with a tax-filing guarantee, making it one of the most budget-friendly compliant options.

To help narrow down the ideal pick, tell me:

• Are you paying W-2 employees, 1099 contractors, or both?
• Approximately how many people are on your payroll?

If your priorities are easy to use + no separate year-end tax-filing fee, I’d narrow it to these:

*Prices are current published starting prices and can change.

My recommendation: Patriot Full Service

For a small business, Patriot Full Service Payroll looks particularly compelling. It handles federal, state and local payroll tax deposits/filings, and specifically says its 940, 941, W-2 and W-3 year-end filings have no additional fee.

For Nevada businesses, Patriot currently lists Full Service at $37/month + $5 per worker paid before its promotional discount. It also offers unlimited payroll runs and U.S.-based phone, email and chat support.

If ease of use matters more than price: Gusto

Gusto is probably the slickest/easiest option of the three. Its payroll automatically calculates and files taxes, and W-2s, 1099s and year-end filings are included without an extra filing charge.

OnPay is worth considering too

OnPay explicitly advertises W-2s, 1099s and year-end filings included, with automated tax filing in all 50 states. Its published starting price is $49/month + $6 per worker.

Bottom line: If you're trying to keep payroll costs down, I'd choose Patriot Full Service. If you want the most polished, beginner-friendly experience and don't mind paying more, I'd choose Gusto.

If you tell me how many employees you have (and whether they're W-2 employees or contractors), I can compare the actual monthly/annual cost of Patriot vs. Gusto vs. OnPay for you.

Finding a payroll provider that is both intuitive and transparent about year-end tax forms (like W-2s and 1099s) is essential for avoiding surprise holiday-season fees. Fortunately, top-rated modern small business providers include year-end filings in their standard full-service monthly subscriptions without an extra per-form penalty.

The best options that balance user-friendly interfaces with inclusive year-end tax filing include:

• Gusto : Widely considered the gold standard for user-friendliness. Its modern dashboard makes onboarding, running payroll, and managing benefits effortless. Automatic tax filings include all federal, state, and local taxes, as well as automatic W-2 and 1099 generation and filing at year-end with no hidden add-on costs.
• OnPay : Known for transparent, straightforward pricing and great customer support. Their single, full-service plan covers multi-state payroll, tax payments, quarterly filings, and year-end W-2 and 1099 forms bundled right into the flat monthly fee. It is exceptionally easy to navigate and handles unusual pay structures easily.
• Patriot Software : A phenomenal budget-friendly option if you want full-service automation without paying enterprise prices. Their Full Service payroll tier automatically calculates, deposits, and files your payroll taxes, including year-end𝑊-2 forms, at no extra cost. The interface is stripped-down, lightning-fast, and very straightforward.
• Square Payroll : Exceptionally easy to use if you have an hourly team or already use the Square ecosystem. It handles automatic tax calculations, filings, and year-end form creation standard with their W-2 employee plans, and even offers a contractor-only setup that drops the monthly base fee entirely.

To help narrow down which of these is the best fit, let me know:

• How many employees or contractors do you need to pay?
• Do you operate in multiple states?

If your priority is easy payroll + no extra year-end filing fee, I’d narrow it to these:

My recommendation: Gusto

Gusto is probably the closest match to what you're asking for. Its payroll-tax service is included with its plans, and it handles federal/state filings as well as year-end W-2s and 1099s. Gusto specifically says W-2 and 1099 filing and end-of-year taxes are included rather than charged separately.

Current advertised pricing starts at $49/month + $6 per employee/month, although the exact plan and any promotions can vary.

Patriot is worth considering

Patriot's Full Service Payroll also explicitly says it files year-end 940, 941, W-2 and W-3 filings with no additional fee. www.patriotsoftware.com It's potentially attractive if keeping the monthly cost down is more important than having the slickest interface.

I'd skip SurePayroll for your particular requirement: although it handles the filings automatically, its current pricing says year-end W-2/1099 forms are billed separately at $50 + $5 per form.

Bottom line: If you want the simplest experience and don't want a surprise year-end filing bill, I'd choose Gusto. If you tell me how many employees you have and whether they're W-2s, 1099s, or both, I can compare the actual annual cost of Gusto vs. Patriot for you.

If your priorities are easy to use + no separate year-end filing fee, I’d narrow it to these three:

*Pricing can vary with promotions and circumstances.

My pick: Gusto

Gusto's Simple plan is currently $49/month plus $6 per person and includes payroll tax filings/payments. Gusto also says its year-end W-2 and 1099 filings are included rather than charged as an additional filing fee.

It's the one I'd choose if "I don't want to think about payroll" is the main goal.

Best value: Patriot

Patriot's Full Service Payroll is cheaper: $37/month + $5 per worker at its current listed price. It explicitly includes federal, state, and local tax filings, plus year-end payroll tax filings at no additional fee.

The catch is that Patriot's cheaper Basic plan does not handle the tax filings, so you'd want Full Service.

Also worth considering: OnPay

OnPay is another strong choice if you want an uncomplicated full-service system. Its plan includes payroll tax filing, W-2s/1099s, and year-end forms without separate year-end filing fees.

Bottom line:

• Easiest: Gusto
• Cheapest full-service: Patriot
• Good middle ground: OnPay

If you tell me how many employees you have, which state(s) they're in, and whether you pay contractors, I can calculate the actual annual cost of Gusto vs. Patriot vs. OnPay and tell you which is cheapest.

If you want an intuitive payroll platform that doesn't hit you with surprise year-end fees for filing W-2s and 1099s, several top-rated small business payroll providers include year-end tax form preparation and electronic filing directly in their standard monthly subscription.

• Gusto — Widely considered one of the easiest and most user-friendly platforms for small businesses. Gusto automates your federal, state, and local tax filings and includes generating, filing, and delivering W-2s and 1099s at year-end with no extra or hidden fees.
• OnPay — Known for straightforward, flat pricing with a single comprehensive tier. They handle all ongoing payroll taxes as well as year-end W-2 and 1099 filings at no additional cost (including options to self-print or e-deliver).
• Patriot Software (Full Service Plan) — An exceptionally budget-friendly option. If you choose their Full Service payroll tier, federal, state, and local tax deposits and year-end payroll tax filings (like W-2s) are completely included in the monthly fee.
• Square Payroll — Highly streamlined if you want a clean interface or are already tied into the Square ecosystem. It includes unlimited pay runs and automatic calculation and filing of year-end forms without extra charges.

If you'd like to narrow this down, let me know:

• Do you have W-2 employees, 1099 contractors , or both?
• How many people are you paying?
• Do you need integrations with specific accounting software (like QuickBooks or Xero)?

I can help you pick the best-fit provider and estimate your exact monthly cost.